Penny gave up just one hit -- albeit a slightly controversial one -- while pitching seven shutout innings Saturday as the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 9-0 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

Penny had a no-hitter with one out in the sixth inning when White Sox third baseman Brent Morel hit a hard grounder to the third-base side of Inge. Inge made a nice stab while ranging to his right, but his throw to first skipped in the dirt and pulled Miguel Cabrera off the bag.

Cabrera could not field the throw cleanly, and Morel was safe.

An on-target throw by Inge would have been in time to get Morel, but the official scorer ruled it an infield single. That was the only hit Penny allowed before being replaced by Ryan Perry to start the eighth inning.

"I still don’t think I was getting a no-hitter," Penny said, shrugging off any perceived controversy. "I’m sure I would have given up a hit at some point."

Leyland didn’t blink when asked whether it was a hit or an error.

"A hit," he said. "I really give the (official scorer) credit because a lot of times they wait until the inning’s over to see what happens. I don’t think that’s right. I think the guy did a great job. I think he put it up there as soon as he looked at the replay. ... I would certainly agree with it."

Penny had thrown a season-high 95 pitches when Leyland took him out after seven innings, and Leyland indicated that he would have considered leaving Penny in the game had the no-hitter been intact.

Penny said he had plenty of gas left in the tank. But he spent no time bemoaning the ruling and had no issues with the play Inge made.

"He was really upset," Penny said. "I just laughed it off. He takes his job really seriously. ... It wasn’t an easy play."Inge and Penny were in the same area on the field later in the inning, and Inge apologized.

"I just kind of said, ‘My bad. Sorry about it,’" Inge said. "And he goes, ‘Give me a break. It’s not like I was going to throw a no-hitter anyway.’ I kind of laughed about it, but still."

Inge said it is a play he expects himself to make.

"I was mad," he said. "I’m still mad. That’s the way it goes sometimes. It was not an easy play. In fact, I don’t think it’s one that a lot of people make. But I should make that play every time."

Official scorer Ron Kleinfelter referred to the portion of the rulebook that refers to "ordinary effort." Basically, if the average player at a position should be able to make a play and doesn’t, it’s an error. But if there is "extraordinary effort" involved and a runner ends up safe, it is a hit.

Even though it was the first hit of the game for the White Sox and a tough call to make, Kleinfelter stood by his decision after reviewing the play after the game.

"The context of the game plays no role in it," he said. "I think I made the right call. I stand by it 100 percent."

Penny retired the first 11 hitters he faced before hitting Carlos Quentin with a pitch with two outs in the fourth. That was the lone baserunner for the White Sox prior to the infield single by Morel.

The win gave the Tigers eight consecutive victories against the White Sox dating back to last season. That is the longest winning streak for the Tigers against the White Sox since the Tigers won eight in a row during the 1949 and 1950 seasons.

The victory also was the fourth in a row at home for Detroit and put the Tigers (11-10) above .500 for the first time this season.

Alex Avila knocked in two runs in the fourth with the first triple of his career and his third extra-base hit in two games this weekend. He finished with three hits.

Ryan Raburn finished with three RBIs to give him seven in two games against the White Sox this weekend.

Penny, who walked two and struck out three, entered the game with a 0-2 record and an 8.44 ERA this season.